Rust Bucket (26 page)

      I asked, "What's your father think about this? I mean your wanting to have a child of mine out of wedlock?"

      She said, "He's got nothing to do with it. I'm my own person and I live as I please. Now are you going to do something now that you're on top again . . . or are we going to get up out of bed, which I hope we don't since it took me so damn long to get you here in the first place!"

      I acceded to her wishes and made love to Annie once more before we finally got up and went to breakfast. We didn't go to her property that day. I wanted to check into things and get a head start on the next day when I would be back on duty.

A week later, I was once again in space with my new Mad Dogs Squadron as we left port to take our turn patrolling the border. As we approached the border, a single enemy scout ship spotted us and started leaving in a hurry while broadcasting our position to the rest of its fleet. We managed to pick up two words the scout mentioned that we could understand. The scout was saying something about the "Rust Bucket" over and over again. To me, the voice saying it sounded frightened.

      Nothing approached our sector during the entire week that we patrolled the border. My squadron returned to base, having performed numerous drills and practices of battle tactics while on patrol. We spent a week on the base before we shipped out again to the border on patrol.

      Again, a solitary enemy scout spotted us as we approached the border. He left in an awful hurry broadcasting something about the "Rust Bucket" over and over to his fleet. The second time it happened, an idea formed in my mind about how we could sucker the enemy and another one for how we could fool him into trying something stupid.

***

When we returned to port, I went immediately to Headquarters to speak with the Fleet Admiral. He was pleased to see me.

      "How is the new squadron performing?" he asked.

      I answered, "Well, but they haven't been battle tested yet. The enemy keeps running off before we can even get close enough. That's part of why I'm here. I have a few ideas I want to pitch to you."

      "Sure. Have a seat. Care for a drink?" he asked.

      I shook my head.

      He said, "Anyway, go ahead and light up. I understand that you charmed the pants off Annie during your shore leave."

      My face must have given me away for the Admiral said, "I'm sorry. That was a poor choice of words on my part. I'm not worried if you two fooled around or not. That's between you and her. I just meant to say that she's still floating on cloud nine or whatever because of the attention you gave her. She hasn't brought another man home or looked at one for all I know. She still walks around naked at home, but at least she puts a robe on now when I have visitors. Whatever you did to her, I appreciate it. Go ahead and give me your ideas."

      I began my pitch, saying, "Sir, I noticed that when we approached the border the last two times for our patrols, the scout didn't hang around just out of range like they did before. He got the hell out of Dodge, so to speak, when he saw my ship. I'm fairly certain of it because the scout was broadcasting both times and saying something. There were only two words that I was able to distinguish that he repeated over and over again. He said 'Rust Bucket' and there was fright in his voice. Anyway, since my ship is the only ship around that's ever been openly called a Rust Bucket. . ."

      He said, "I hope you're not offended by that. If so, I'll . . ."

      I quickly replied, "No, Admiral. I call the
Thurman
a 'Rust Bucket' myself in an affectionate manner. It doesn't offend me at all. Nor does it offend any of the other personnel with me from Pennyweight Shipping Company. We called her one there, too. But it does seem to be the only ship openly called that. That's what gave me the idea. I'm suggesting that some of the other ships might be allowed to rust or be painted to look like rust. It would confuse the enemy. He wouldn't know which ship was the
Thurman.
It might also give me more of a chance to slip up on him if he can't recognize my ship so easily."

      He said, "I wish it was that easy, but Pennyweight asked that the hull of the ship be left as is except for repairs while the Navy has regulations about its ships' hulls."

      I said, "I see. Then I'm going to have to figure out a way to sneak up on the enemy, even if I have to leave the
Thurman
behind once or twice."

      "Yes, of course. You can transfer your flag aboard one of the other ships and then take your position. Are you going to switch crews as well?" he asked.

      I said, "I haven't made that decision yet. I'm leaning toward not changing crews. It will give the other crew more confidence if they know I'm willing to step on board their ship without my own gunners and pilots."

      He exclaimed, "Good for you, son! Of course, you could have your ship standing out of sensor range to come in if things start to go bad."

      I said, "That's true, but I don't want the other officers or crews to think that I've got to have my ship nearby to bail me out. If I go out in that manner, then the
Thurman
is remaining behind or it can go on some other mission."

      He said, "I see. You really don't want any of your people to lose their confidence. I wish this problem had been spotted before we rebuilt the squadron. I hate risking you like this, but I suppose you know the risks as much as I do. Do what you feel you have to, son. Take care of yourself."

      I replied, "I'll do my best."

      He asked, "By the way, how do you like Annie? Is she, uh, no, I shouldn't ask something like that. Never mind."

      I replied, "Yes, she is, sir. I think I know what you were about to ask. She's a great gal and she's beginning to grow on me."

      He said, "She does have that way about her. Anyway, take care and good hunting."

      I saluted the Admiral, receiving his snappy salute in return, before I turned and left his office. I wondered if I should have answered his question about Annie. I felt sure he wanted to know if she was better than Majel. Truthfully, Annie was better in bed than Majel. But, truthfully, both women had different reasons for getting into bed with me. Majel's was more of a repayment than anything else. Annie's reason was personal and for attention. Annie was willing to do a lot of things for attention and do them well, if not better than anyone else.

***

A week passed before we returned to patrol our border area. The squadron was surprised to learn that the
Thurman
wasn't going to lift off with us at all. I moved my meager belongings off the
Thurman
onto the
Cagney.
Captain Ellen Shaw was totally surprised to see me enter her ship and take my station on the bridge as I didn't announce the change until I actually made it about five minutes before launch.

***

When we approached the border, there was an enemy scout waiting. That time, he didn't get frightened and run off. His broadcast seemed quite normal, I guess, for an Ape-oid. I waited for him to finish his broadcast while my squadron got closer to his ship until we were just out of range. When he finished, I yelled charge through thelightbeam radio at the other ships. The nine ships of my squadron leaped forward at top speed at the enemy scout with our weapons blazing at him. He must have forgotten to broadcast what we were doing as he tried to get out of the area fast to save his skin. He wasn't fast enough to get out of range of the Mark IV quads that even at extreme range were too much for a scout ship. We pummeled his ship into small pieces before returning to our normal patrol area to engage in on board drills and ship exercises in tactics while remaining totally alert to any enemy intrusion of our sector.

***

I suspected that his loss would be investigated. Some other enemy ships showed up the next day. They must have looked at us carefully before they decided to move closer. I waited until they were just barely out of weapons range before I yelled charge at my squadron. We swept outward at the enemy squadron with our weapons blazing. For some reason, the enemy squadron held their position as we moved into extreme weapons range where our heaviest weapons scored hits on some of them.

      Then we were in normal weapons range and the battle began in earnest. By then, my squadron was committed to the battle. The officers and crews were enthusiastic about beating the enemy if only because of what they did to the scout the day before. Scoring the first hits on the enemy didn't hurt the morale of my officers and crews, either.

      It wasn't as easy a battle as others before it. The enemy must have thought that they were fighting an ordinary squadron that had enough of retreating or had been inspired by the other victories. I don't think they knew I had been training that squadron personally or that I was on board a different ship. Regardless, the officers responded the way I wanted them to. Two of them managed to use their individual initiative to slip behind some of the enemy ships and rake them with T-shots, completely penetrating one ship's hull and rupturing the other ship. The rest of my ships fought more in a slugfest type of battle with the enemy getting the worst of it because we got in the most shots and hits before we got into the enemy's range.

      One of my ships was ruptured completely before the battle was over. Aside from some heavy damage to two ships and light damage to the others, we acquitted ourselves well by destroying the enemy squadron completely even though the initial odds had been ten to nine in the enemy's favor. Our two heavily damaged ships were sent back to port. The
Thurman
was sent out to take their place until the patrol was over since I didn't want to be shorthanded by four ships.

***

When we returned from patrol, the squadron got a taste of what a victory celebration was like. There was no going back for them at that point. As much as I would have liked to take them to attack the enemy home world, there wasn't enough time. Qualified battle-hardened crews and officers were in short supply. They were needed elsewhere to protect our borders and populations until we had enough to make a difference in the outcome of the war.

***

When I got to my quarters that night, Annie was waiting outside my door for me. She smiled and pointed her thumb at the door as I once did to her. I returned her smile and opened the door for her to enter. As before, she didn't bother with waiting for the door to close before she undressed and plopped onto the bed. She said, "Daddy was real pleased with what you did this week. He thought you were never going to skipper a ship other than that old Rust Bucket. He'd like to see you pacing the bridge of a cruiser and commanding a twenty-ship squadron. I would, too."

      "Oh?" I said, a little surprised that her father had disclosed such information to her.

      "Yes, he said you remind him of himself when he was a little older than you. He figures that you should advance to a heavy cruiser within six months. From there, you could become a Commodore."

      I said, "Really? That's interesting. I didn't think that Commodore's could hold temporary commissions."

      "They can't?" she said in surprise.

      I answered, "No, they can't. Not in our Navy at the present time with the regulations in place now. This is as far as I can go unless I receive a regular commission."

      She said, "I'm sorry to hear that."

      Annie sounded quite sincere when she said it and I believed her. On the other hand, commanding a cruiser with a twenty-ship squadron did have its advantages. It might very well be a stepping stone to achieving my goal of a regular commission. Then I would have the choice of making a career in the Navy or not at a later time.

      I said, "Well, I guess I'll visit your father at work tomorrow to see what he has to say officially about me taking command of a cruiser. I'll admit, it does sound interesting."

***

In the morning, I drove us over to Headquarters in her hover. She waited outside while I went in and talked with the Fleet Admiral. When I came out a little later, I was holding a set of orders that would send me to another planet to take command of a cruiser and the twenty-ship squadron it was a part of. I hadn't thought of that before. When I showed her the orders, she was thrilled at first, then shocked and disappointed to learn that I would be leaving.

      "I didn't know that you'd have to leave to take a cruiser," she said, trying to hold back tears.

      "I didn't either, but I should have realized it beforehand and warned you since we don't have any cruisers here. I thought I was only leaving the Rust Bucket and not you," I said truthfully. "If it makes any difference, I'll give you all my nights until I ship out."

      "Would you? Would you spend one in my room?" she asked.

      "In the Admiral's home?" I said, almost frightened at the prospect. I thought, sure, the Admiral had told me he didn't mind if I bedded his daughter, but to do it in his own home? Would that be throwing the affair into his face?

      She replied, "Sure. He won't mind, especially since it's you. He's said more than once to me that I should bring you over for a meal. Well, breakfast is a meal and it would make me very happy. Almost as happy as having your child which is another thing I want to talk about."

      I could see the pitch coming already. She wanted to have my child in case I was killed and didn't come back. Then she would have a piece of me to hold onto for awhile. "What about a child?" I asked.

      She asked, "Would you mind terribly if I stopped using protection to have a baby by you? I'm not asking for marriage and I'm not trying to make you feel like you have to come back to me. I know you might yet meet someone other than me whom you could fall in love with. But, you've really gotten to me and I'm about ready to settle down even if you're not. Plus, I don't want to do it behind your back."